September 2011 Blog Posts (542)

When Anne-Marie’s family and mine got together in Chicago earlier this summer, Pig of the Month offered to supply us with an evening of BBQ bliss. Bliss it was! The ribs arrived already cooked and frozen. We simply defrosted them overnight in the fridge. The next day we set the table and…

I have both a son and a daughter (Lucky me. One of each and I was done!). Needless to say that my daughter has always been – way – more fun to shop for than my son. Boys’ clothing is so predictable and… boring. My son has always enjoyed “clowning around” with his personal style. In his early teen years he was trying hard to discover and differentiate his own fashion style from the same-same sea of cargo shorts, board shoes and logo’d tees. Whether it was to wear a neon pink striped beanie,…

Aside from blogging, I also do occasional articles for our hyperlocal online newspaper, TheAlternativePress.com. My latest assignment was to interview my neighbor, Wade Burch, who just won Round 1 of Food Network's "Chopped Champions."

I came home yesterday from spending the day at the beach with my three kids, fed them dinner, and put them to bed. Wade called to do the phone interview around 10pm and I wrote my piece last night in a quiet house. How cool is it that we get to do…

My daughter recently asked me for a milkshake. With her severe allergies to dairy, I knew I would have to come up with a clever alternative. Rather than turning to Google, we came up with our own concoction and I must admit, it's delicious!

I realize that I haven’t written much lately, and maybe that’s because I just haven’t felt passionate about much over the past few days. Sure, school started, along with all of the crazy that accompanies those first few days, but I managed to get through it without too many tantrums (by me, that is). Life has fallen into a new routine, which is really the old routine –the sequel. Slowly, I have come to accept that I have crossed summer’s finish line, and entered the Fall zone without too…

To some people, this necklace might look like something the Malibu Barbie serial killer would wear. But to MY group of friends? Well, this fine piece of craftsmanship is something to be treasured -- at least until you anonymously pass it along to the next unsuspecting girl.

It all started last year when it was used as a prop in a very creative…

Do you or your students have trouble staying organized with all the papers that you are bombarded with during the school year? I have a few programs that will help make your life a little easier this year.

Back to School time is a time some of us dread, all the shopping and crowds are so stressful for parents and child. I've put together a BTS Guide to help you and your family get through this school year.…

Just sharing the P90X love and letting you know that P90X2 is available for only a few days. I so want to get this, and will! I really am looking for a small group of people that want to do this workout with me that are willing to chat about it viz facebook etc and compare results…any takers? I did the first P90X one and a half times.…

Books are a way for you to visit new worlds and learn new things. Today books are so easy to get with all the new technology out there, like iPhone, iPads, Kindle, and Nook. Today I'm going to tell you about some very useful books that you should absolutely have in you collection.

First let me tell you about some fun IPhone, IPad and Android apps. These apps are made by…

You can never truly understand a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes. I don’t know what it’s like to be adopted, or to be given up at birth, and I don’t know what it’s like to have reactive attachment disorder (RAD).